5 best NBA Christmas moments ever

2. LeBron James (2010 vs. Los Angeles Lakers)

The back-to-back stretch the James put together from 2008-2010 is one of the best the NBA has ever seen. His first season with the Miami Heat was the more impressive of the two, even as he struggled to find a rhythm within the team’s slippery hierarchy: 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Forget statistically averages higher than the ones from this James season, his cumulative performance won’t soon be forgotten.

And the carrot atop the cake (this is a safe space for carrot cake love now, right?) was this little darling of a Christmas Day show: the first-ever Yuletide triple-double. 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, with only one turnover. That offensive show, consistent with season norms, was matched (as it often was in Miami) with a ridiculous defensive masterclass. Four steals and only 80 Lakers points- -that’s the reigning NBA Champion Lakers, with Kobe Bryant and friends.

I’m glad James gave us a sparkly individual performance on the league’s best day to jump out at us when we go looking; he’s elite no matter what, but with a triple-double that can rival Ice Cube’s as the most infamous in basketball history, the argument becomes simple. Who but James has consistently given us games likes these?

This one, like most on this list, looks greater in context: 5-6 from behind the arc, 6-6 from the line, 8-14 from the field. A 16-point win in a rare matchup against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers. Sometimes, it’s more satisfying when one legend crushes another than it is when they go toe-to-toe in a close game. James quieted the crowd who wondered about his superiority, despite Bryant’s title earlier that year.